Exploring the Career Motivations, Strengths, and Challenges of Autistic and Non-autistic University Students: Insights From a Participatory Study.

Patrick Dwyer,Jonathan Vincent,Sergey Shevchuk-Hill,Chinnu Cheriyan,Kristen Gillespie-Lynch,Steven K Kapp,Ariana Riccio,Eilidh Cage,Bella Kofner,Helen Attwood

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.719827

Abstract

Supports for the growing number of autistic university students often focus on helping them succeed in university. However, even educated autistic people experience discrimination and other challenges which can make it very difficult for them to obtain meaningful jobs. Little remains known about how universities can better support their autistic students and alumni in overcoming barriers to meaningful employment. In this participatory study, a team of autistic and non-autistic researchers asked autistic (n = 92) and non-autistic (n = 774) university students about their career aspirations, strengths they believe will help them succeed in their “dream jobs,” and obstacles they expect to encounter. Autistic participants’ top goal in attending college was to improve their career prospects. However, relatively few autistic students reported learning career-specific skills at university. Autistic students were more likely to seek an academic job and less likely to seek a career in healthcare than non-autistic students. Autistic students highlighted writing skills and detail orientation as strengths that could help them succeed in their dream jobs more often than non-autistic students. However, they were also more likely to expect discrimination, social, and psychological difficulties to stand in the way of their dream jobs. These findings suggest that universities should prioritize experiential learning opportunities to help autistic (and non-autistic) students develop employment-related skills while providing mental health supports. Universities should demonstrate their commitment to supporting diverse learners by seeking out and hiring autistic professionals and by teaching their own staff and employers how to appreciate and support autistic colleagues.

Highlights

Higher education increases the likelihood that autistic people will obtain a job and be paid well for their work (Migliore et al, 2012; Ohl et al, 2017; Rast et al, 2020)
What Employment Skills Have Autistic Participants Learned at University?
Such work should examine if perceived strengths and challenges shape career goals and trajectories longitudinally. These findings indicate that programs aiming to help autistic university students obtain meaningful jobs should provide strengths-focused supports to help all students, and those who face pronounced obstacles gaining meaningful employment, develop employment-related skills at university, while providing mental health supports

Summary

Introduction

Higher education increases the likelihood that autistic people will obtain a job and be paid well for their work (Migliore et al, 2012; Ohl et al, 2017; Rast et al, 2020). Little remains known about how university staff can help autistic students and alumni obtain the jobs they deserve. A recent survey revealed that autistic people, their family members, employers, clinicians and researchers in the United States, Sweden, and Australia all agreed that a strong match between autistic peoples’ interests and job demands motivates autistic people to succeed in the workplace (Black et al, 2020). To begin to address this gap, a participatory team of autistic and non-autistic researchers developed the current study to examine the career aspirations of autistic and non-autistic university students, strengths they believe will help them succeed in their “dream jobs,” and obstacles they expect to encounter

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Conclusion